Chapter 975 - Word-Eater Swarm
Looking out the window, one could see a dark mass blotting out the sky like a storm cloud as it surged toward the Full Moon Library. Then came the sound of shattering glass.
Flying insects the size of a human head crashed through the windows, their maws lined with fangs. They immediately swarmed toward the bookshelves.
The alarm had already triggered the library’s protective measures. Every bookshelf was sealed behind a barrier, effectively keeping the Word-Eaters out.
Nonetheless, the Word-Eaters refused to give up. They repeatedly slammed against the barriers in an attempt to break through. Some, unable to reach the shelved books, changed targets and lunged at the readers instead.
The readers held books in their hands. If they didn’t surrender them, the Word-Eaters would attack them savagely.
Screams echoed throughout the library. Han Wu had no intention of getting involved, but he happened to be holding a book. The Word-Eaters caught its scent like cats smelling fish and charged straight at him.
The Fire Dragon Knight was his strongest Form. Unfortunately, the Full Moon Library had strict rules that forbade fire-type life forms inside. He didn’t want to risk punishment, so he used his Fourth Form, which allowed him to use Summon Skeletons and Osteomancy.
“Crystal Lich!” Han Wu summoned the powerful undead skeletons he had raised earlier, and they threw themselves at the Word-Eaters without hesitation.
Meanwhile, he stayed in the rear, continuously firing Osteomancy to kill large numbers of incoming Word-Eaters. The carcasses that hit the ground were put to immediate use. He cast Summon Skeletons on them and raised black-boned, bird-like skeletons from their remains.
Their wing bones lacked feathers, but under the Golden Will’s rules within the White Soul Civilization, they could still fly. Their flight altitude was low, though. Someone could crush them into bone dust if they took a careless step.
Han Wu didn’t have the luxury of being picky. In this civilization, having skeletons at all was good enough. With a large skeletal swarm of Word-Eaters helping out, the rate at which Word-Eaters breached the library slowed significantly. The librarians’ workload dropped by half.
“This section is covered. Go help the other sections!” a librarian said, unleashing his own strength to deal with the remaining Word-Eaters.
Han Wu firmly shook his head. “I’m here to read books, not fight. This book is yours. If the Word-Eaters chew it up, that’s between you and them. Don’t come to me for compensation!”
He tossed the book to the librarian. Only after confirming it was safely returned to the shelf did Han Wu relax. He had finally escaped the threat of a fine.
The librarian refused to give up. If Han Wu was willing to help the other sections, he could significantly reduce their losses.
Unfortunately, Han Wu never worked for free. He said with complete sincerity, “I never do anything without a reward, or I get sick.”
The librarian was at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe Han Wu had used such a flimsy excuse to refuse.
At that moment, the dark, overcast sky outside suddenly brightened.
Han Wu ignored the librarian and looked out the window. Dark Archmage Cage now hovered high above the library. Behind him floated a brilliant pale ring, while a glowing Microcosm materialized above his head like a full moon.
The endless swarm of Word-Eaters spotted the luminous Microcosm and rushed toward it, piling over one another until they smothered every trace of its light.
That was when Dark Archmage Cage struck. Cold, pale beams erupted from the Microcosm like a volley of arrows, piercing through the Word-Eater blockade.
As countless Word-Eaters skewered by the light arrows rained down from the sky, Han Wu saw an opportunity.
This is nature’s bounty! He leaped through the window and cast Summon Skeletons on the fallen carcasses. One after another, Word-Eater skeletons crawled from the remains and joined his army.
Dark Archmage Cage noticed what Han Wu was doing but paid it no mind. The fallen Word-Eaters were only the tip of the iceberg. Far more were still charging toward the Full Moon Library, desperate to devour its books and absorb their power.
“Not a chance,” Dark Archmage Cage said coldly.
In the next instant, his Microcosm erupted with boundless light, enveloping the entire Laurel Tree.
When the blinding glow faded, Han Wu found himself in a strange space. The librarians and readers stood alongside him, as did the Word-Eaters that had been trying to break into the library. Dark Archmage Cage had teleported them all there.
The insects hovered in the air, still intent on reaching the library as they bared their mandibles.
“Kill every last Word-Eater, and everyone can return to the library,” Dark Archmage Cage declared.
Every reader had now been conscripted as a soldier and had no choice but to face the massive Word-Eater swarm. There was nowhere to hide either. This was Dark Archmage Cage’s Microcosm, and he made the rules.
“What a scam. What an absolute scam,” Han Wu muttered again.
There was no avoiding it now. If he didn’t fight, the Word-Eaters would come for him anyway.
Han Wu preferred to take the initiative. At his command, his skeleton army sprang into action. At the same time, he used Merge and fused large batches of Word-Eater skeletons together. The mindless creatures with weak souls became far tougher, and their bones hardened tenfold. Each one rivaled a Third Form Word-Eater in raw strength.
These upgraded skeletons charged into battle and slaughtered even more Word-Eaters. Han Wu kept summoning fallen enemies and expanding his skeleton army. As his forces grew, so did his kill count. Before long, his total kills surpassed the combined total of everyone else in the space.
Naturally, Dark Archmage Cage took notice.
Through everyone’s combined efforts, every Word-Eater teleported into Dark Archmage Cage’s Microcosm was wiped out.
Han Wu emerged from the battle with a massive Word-Eater skeleton army. He was already planning his next move. Once he merged all the Word-Eater skeletons, he would command a large force of powerful skeleton guards, which would make the trip to the Golden Tree much safer.
While Han Wu was picturing this bright future, Dark Archmage Cage beckoned him over.
Han Wu approached but stopped two arm’s lengths away, clearly wary that the Dark Archmage would try something.
Dark Archmage Cage hadn’t expected such caution. Still, his many years of experience had taught him that caution was a virtue. Cautious people lived longer.
“Young man, would you like to inherit my legacy?” Dark Archmage Cage asked.